Secret Affection

Chapter 10

Flashback

"Bullseye!"

I groan, looking over my shoulder to see the woman I've grown attached to.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a damn horse, Lo?"

She wraps her arms around my shoulders, swaying back and forth.

"At least until I stop finding your reaction funny."

I chuckle leaning down to peck her lips, teasing her,

"You're lucky I love you, Lauren."

~*

"How do you two know each other?"

Lauren had a smile that could light up the whole room on her face, while the smile on my best friend's face could bury me six feet underground.

"We served together. I met Aly when I first started, you were what, on your..?"

"Sixth year in."

"That's right, anyway, she was a real pain in the ass to talk to. Always so straight forward and blunt, it's almost like she was intentionally trying to insult you."

"I wasn't that bad!"

"No, you were so much worse."

I groan, throwing my head back over the booth. Staring at the ceiling I occasionally tuned into the two woman's conversation.

"I'm on leave right now, so in a few months I have to go back."

"Oh? You're still serving?"

"I have two more years in me, then I'm done."

How are they talking like this? Completely fine?

"So you were Special Forces too?"

"Oh, god no. I was just infantry, Spec Ops was around the same bases as us sometimes, so that's how I found Aly."

Seriously? They're supposed to be sworn enemies or some sh-t!

"So how did she act over there? She won't tell me anything."

"Oh, she was really outspoken. Like I said, she was blunt, most people thought she was a complete b-tch."

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"I've know her since we were little and she's always been the shy one. Refusing to talk at all."

That makes Lauren laugh, and then I drop my head back down, really listening to the conversation.

"Really?! You're kidding!"

Grace shakes her head, smiling as she thinks of our childhood.

"Nope, she had these glasses and always had a book in her hand. I swear she's read the Harry Potter books seven times over."

"Grace, come on!"

She looks at me with a fake smile that I could easily see through.

"What, Aly? I'm just telling stories to your girlfriend, what's the big deal?"

The fact you said that with so much distain it made my skin crawl. The fact that she isn't my damn girlfriend. The fact that I-

I sigh, laying my head down on the table. Lauren senses my uneasiness and stands up,

"Well, I should be going. I'll let you two catch up. You saved my number, right Aly?"

I pull my phone out, looking at the contact name I saved her under earlier, which brings a smile to my face.